Rights Holder: The British Museum
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Unique ID: BM-193206
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Published
I have examined a group of 11 coins and fragments of coins the coins are listed in detail in the accompanying catalogue. All the coins are silver and all but two fragments are official coins of the medieval kings of England, and will thus be of the traditional sterling standard, i.e. 92.5 fine metal. The remaining two fragments appear to come from one coin, a sterling imitation of English pennies issued by the French lord Gaucher de Chatillon. These will have a silver fineness of c. 80%.
Although the group is relatively small, it represents most of the silver denominations of late medieval England (halfpenny, penny, half-groat of 2-pence and groat of 4-pence), with only the farthing missing. The three groats are the most recent coins, dating to 1422-27. The coins could certainly all have been in circulation at the same time, since there was no wholesale recoinage in medieval England after 1278 and, although there were weight reductions, older coin could and did survive in currency, often clipped down to the new standard.
It is my opinion that, on balance of probability, the coins found at Clitheroe fulfil the criteria of Treasure, according to the terms of the Act.
Dr Barrie J. Cook
Curator of Medieval and Early Modern Coinage
Department of Coins and Medals
[Coins indicated with an asterisk are fragmentary pieces.]
Edward I-II
1. Penny Class 3 (1279-80) London 0.4g*
2. Penny Class 10cf (.1306-10) Canterbury 0.94g
3. Penny class and mint uncertain 0.28g*
Edward III, Fourth Coinage (1351-77)
Pre-Treaty Period (1351-60)
4. Half-groat Series C (1351-2) London 1.41g
5. Half-groat Series D (1352-3) London 1.82g
Richard II (1377-99)
6. Halfpenny Withers type 1 London 0,43g
Henry VI
7. Groat Annulet (1422-7) cross II/II Calais 3.64g
8. Groat Annulet (1422-7) cross II/II Calais 3.8g
9. Groat Annulet (1422-7) cross II/II Calais 3.8g
Foreign sterlings
10-11. Sterling Gaucher de Chatillon (1313-22) Florennes 0.28g*, 0.18g*
[These are probably, though not necessarily, from the same coin.]
Dr B. J. Cook
Curator of Medieval and Early Modern Coinage
Department of Coins and Medals
British Museum
17 December 2009
British Museum
17 December 2009
Current location of find: Clitheroe Castle Museum
Subsequent action after recording: Acquired by museum after being declared Treasure
Treasure case tracking number: 2009T481
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Period to: MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1279
Date to: Circa AD 1427
Quantity: 11
Date(s) of discovery: Monday 7th September 2009
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Treasure case number: 2009T481
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.
No references cited so far.